Kamalakannan has written and directed Kurangu Pedal produced by Savitha Shanmugam and Sumi Bhaskaran under Sivakarthikeyan Productions, Montage Pictures.
It stars Kali Venkat, Master Santhosh Velmurugan, Raghavan, Gnanasekar, Sai Ganesh, Rathish, Prasanna Balachandran, Jenson Diwakar, Dakshana, Savithiri, Cella, Kuberan.
Technical Artists:- Co-Producer-Sanjay Jayakumar, Artisan, Music-Gipran Vaipoda, Sound Design-Anthony B. Jayaruban, Cinematography-Sumi Bhaskaran, Editor-Sivanandeeswaran, Screenplay-Kamalakannan, Prabhakar Shanmugam, Lyrics-Prabhakar Shanmugam, Songs-Director Brahma, B.Manivannan, N.D.Rajkumar, Art- Sathis Sivan, Suresh Thilakavathy, Kids Acting Coach- Nandakumar, Colorist-Balaji, Cinematography-Sivakumar, Designs- Lokesh Kandasamy, PR- Sureshchandra TN.
The film opens with Kalivenkat and his son, a weaver in Katheri village during the 1980s. Kandasamy (Kali Venkat) has a large family with wife, married daughter and son. As a weaver, Kandaswamy walks wherever he wants to go and has not learned to ride a bicycle, so the villagers mock him as Nataraja Service Kandaswamy. His son Mariyappan (Master Santhosh Velmurugan) along with his friends Neethi Manikam (Raghavan), Selvam (Gnanasekar), Mani (Sai Ganesh) and Rasu (Rathees) want to have fun during the school summer vacation. At this time, all the friends want to hang out on bicycles. For that, they rent a bicycle from a bicycle shop run by a military man (Prasanna Balachandran). In this, a friend buys his own bicycle and three other friends go with him, only Mariyappan tries to rent a bicycle and try to do it on his own. Finally after a lot of effort the sticky monkey learns to pedal well by placing his foot between the two pedals due to the high height of the bicycle. While doing this training, he agrees to a mountain climbing competition with his friends. One day he goes to great lengths to turn over the money for the rented bicycle before the time to return it is over. A problem arises between the two when the son who goes out of the house does not return and the military’s bicycle does not return. All together try to find Mariappan. Where did Mariappan go? Did you pay the rent balance? Participated in a bicycle race with friends? Did the villagers find Mariapappan? Did the son Mariappan stop his father’s unnecessary spending? Did Mariappan’s long-time wish come true? That is the realistic plot of Monkey Pedal.
As Nataraja Service Kandasamy, Kalivenkat is a hard worker and a man who reflects the life of a weaver, Akmark has lived as a village father with a posture of authority, scolding and threatening his son. He stands out in the scenes where he pulls away when his son asks for money, when he asks for money for lottery tickets and gambling, when his son talks about his bad habits, and when he feels sorry for missing his son, he stands alone. Akmark of the good 80s has lived as a strict and loving father in a different field while understanding his son’s mind. He finally gets a hand clap in the last scene that fulfills his son’s wish. Master Santhosh Velmurugan as son Mariyappan with squinty eyes, a mischievous attitude, a questioning attitude like a bellman, fighting with the villagers who make fun of his father, buying a bicycle from the military and jumping in fear, sighing in agony before doing a center stunt, walking around the town after learning how to attach a bicycle, the money saved by his father. Taking the money and extorting money, preaching to his father, working to pay off the debt he got from the military without burdening his father, and then cycling with his friends, he has beautifully done the atrocities of normal village children in every scene. Along with him, Raghavan, Gnanasekar, Sai Ganesh, Ratheesh have traveled with him as friends and have done special things. The comedy gala in the second half of Prasanna Balachandran as the military and Jensen Diwakar, and Dakshana as the older sister, Savithiri as the mother, Cella as the Vathiyar and Kuberan as the puppeteer give the film extra strength to drive the story.
Sumi Bhaskaran has ecstatically shot the scenes of the 1980s in front of our eyes, the beautiful mud huts of the village, schools, bicycle shops, playgrounds, odam, street furniture, the middle of the sea, flyover, mountain temple, children’s well bath, village life combined with bicycles. Directed by Brahma, B.Manivannan, N.T.Rajkumar’s magical lyrics and Gibran’s mesmerizing music, Antony B. Jayaruban’s sound design has mesmerized the scenes.
Screenplay-Kamalakannan, Prabhakar Shanmugam, Script-Prabhakar Shanmugam, Art- Sathis Sivan, Suresh Thilakavathy, Editor- Sivanandeeswaran have carved all the scenes of the film effectively.
Nandakumar’s effort to give acting training to children is the biggest highlight of the film.
Director Kamalakannan has adapted the short story Cycle written by writer Rasi Alagappan into a two-hour film. A short story based on a bicycle incident between the writer Rasi Alagappan and his father at the age of six, by combining interesting village events and effectively displaying the mood, games and pranks of children in the 80s, reminding today’s younger generations of the life of that time, and connecting all people that the bicycle is the village, city, nation and world. Director Kamalakannan has made it clear that the bridge is the dream vehicle of the common people and has given it the simplicity of the village. Appreciation to the director Kamalakkann who highlighted the importance of sports at the beginning of the film and brought out the joy and happiness of the 80s when there were no facilities and made everyone aware that the facilities available to today’s generation did not exist in those days. He is sure to get many awards for his hard work and dedication. Weldon.
